Elle King Recalls Dealing With ‘Crippling Anxiety’ on ‘Nation’s Dumbest’

Elle King is on her self-love journey after dealing with some debilitating nerves ahead of filming Fox’s newest game show, Nation’s Dumbest.

“I was super nervous,” she exclusively told Us Weekly while discussing joining the competition that tests celebrities’ smarts. “It’s taken me a lot of work, but I like who I am, and I like the person I’m becoming. I’m a kind person. My heart is good. I’m smarter than I thought I was, and I’m a good mom.”

King, 37, who is a mother to two children — sons Lucky, 4, and Royal, 1 — said she led with those qualities when coming into Nation’s Dumbest.

“I was dealing with some crippling anxiety. But you have to just remind yourself: everybody else is probably nervous too, no matter how much they’re putting on a front,” she explained.

Shane Mahood/ FOX

The Ex’s & Oh’s singer found a confidant on set, too. Besides King, the debut season of Nation’s Dumbest features TV personality Hilaria Baldwin, actress Carmen Electra, former NFL quarterback Matt Leinart, musician Chase Hudson and rapper Ice-T.

TV personality and physician Dr. Drew Pinsky, Jackass star Steve-O and singer JoJo Siwa are also part of the group, while actor Anthony Michael Hall, actor Jon Heder and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang round out the cast.

“Once I met Chase, I was like, ‘Okay, he’s quieter than me, so I’m good, and he’s beautiful, so I’m just gonna stare at him.’ He was talking smack under his breath. I was like, this is school,” King joked. “I’ve got to be 20 years older than this kid, but that’s my boy.”

King also shared with Us that she’s been underestimated most of her life.

“I guess everything has sort of been a little bit against me. No one has taken me as serious, and I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s made me sometimes have to work twice as hard,” the Grammy-nominated singer revealed.

“I just wanted to carve my own path. And sometimes it’s hard enough without any of that other stuff. And I’m just grateful that I’ve had any opportunities that I’ve had, even the bad ones, because even those opportunities, every experience is an opportunity for growth,” King continued, noting, “I’ve learned my lessons, so I’m smooth sailing so far right now.”

King previously opened up to Us about being diagnosed with autism after her time on the show.

“I love games. I love game shows. I’m extremely competitive, and I love puzzles and everything. I actually found out right after the show that I’m autistic, and so I was like, ‘Everything makes so much sense now.’ But I didn’t even know,” she recalled.

Nation’s Dumbest is described as “a proven format across multiple international territories, channels celebrities’ inner school spirit as they head back to summer school, facing a mix of brain-teasing tasks, fast-paced physical challenges, and long-buried classroom knowledge.”

Each week, “the ‘smartest’ celebrity graduates, narrowing the field until a high-stakes final exam determines who will be left standing with the distinction no one wants — the title of The Nation’s Dumbest.”

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The fun-loving family program is hosted by British comedian Jack Whitehall, who joked with Us that he had to constantly remind himself, “Don’t be too much of a dick.”

He explained, “It’s very easy to stand there and be smug and aloof when you’ve got all the answers written down. I kept having to remind myself that if the boot had been on the other foot, I would have been flailing around and getting questions wrong. I tried to make sure that I was compassionate as well.”

Nation’s Dumbest debuts on Fox Wednesday, July 15, at 9 p.m. ET.

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